Top court dismisses petition filed against release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition filed against the proposed release of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts.

The dismissal of the petition means that the governor of the state (the central government, indirectly) can freely decide the fate of the convicts now.

The state government is already in favour of the release of the convicts, as both Dravidian parties, which are the most powerful political force in the state, are in favour of the release of the convicts.

It earlier requested the central government to allow it to release the convicts. The central government then refrained from taking any serious action.

Though the Congress party is reasonably against the idea of the release, the BJP is neither against nor in support of the release. The BJP normally views everything politically. In that sense, the present issue is also political in nature for them. In this case, it is likely to act in a way that gives maximum political benefit to the party.

The main argument against the proposed release is that the decision to release will set a wrong precedent in the country.

The top court earlier commuted the death sentence of the convicts to life imprisonment.

The Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts have already spent over 28 years inside the four walls of prison.

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